Perched on the edge of Yinzi Knoll, this pavilion functions less like a simple resting spot and more like a carefully calibrated optical instrument for viewing Star Lake. Its defining feature is the series of large octagonal windows piercing the whitewashed walls between the vermilion columns. These geometric openings do not merely ventilate the space; they curate the landscape, turning the sprawling, jagged skyline of the Seven Star Crags into composed, eight-sided vignettes.

Constructed in 1894 during the waning years of the Qing Dynasty, the pavilion carries a name—Yinzi—that suggests the sheltering of one’s native village. The structure physically enacts this protective role through its unusual split layout. An internal partition wall divides the space into two distinct zones: a front antechamber that engages with the passing traveler on the causeway, and a rear sanctuary that opens entirely to the water. This architectural separation forces a pause, allowing the visitor to step out of the flow of traffic and into a private dialogue with the lake. While the current structure is a 1980s reconstruction that replaced the original brick and wood with durable concrete and green glazed tiles, it preserves the spatial logic of its nineteenth-century predecessor. It stands as a mediator between the solid ground of the city and the fluid expanse of the lake, offering a permanent, geometric frame for a view that changes with every passing hour.